Island Expeditions: Random Events and Invasions

By Sanghelios Updated: 2019/02/19

OverviewWhat Are Random Events and Why Are They Important?Changes to Events in 8.1: Tides of Vengeance

The Unbound Monstrosity Azerite elemental has been added to the list of major invasion events.

More "out-of-theme" enemies are present on every Island Expedition.

New Invasions: Cultists, Taunka, Feral Worgen, Undead Vrykul.

New Event: Azerite Ruptures and Extractors.

Multiple Invasions can occur in a single Island Expedition.

Many new rare enemies on every Island Expedition.

Bonus Objective items such as Antivenom and Torches are much more visible by a beam of orange light.

All chests and satchels related to invasion events are locked until the nearby rare spawn is defeated.

Invasions will always occur, even when beating the enemy team and on high difficulties.

Event TriggersNote on Triggering Events:

Stage 1: This wave of changes occurs immediately after the Island Expedition begins. This consists of small camps of special enemies spawning in and friendly NPCs getting in trouble.

Stage 2: After some Azerite has been collected between both factions, a single event occurs at a location around the Island offering a large amount of Azerite. As of now this is always the spawning of the Unbound Monstrosity elementa.

Stage 3: When much more Azerite has been collected between both factions, the final wave of events occurs on the Island, consisting of an invasion of new creatures.

Bonus Objectives, Rare Spawns and ExtractorsBonus Objectives

Caged: Key

Entangled: Torch

Injured: Poultice or external healing to full health

Buried: Shovel

Poisoned: Antivenom

Completing the objective awards 400 Azerite (600 on Heroic).

Rare Enemies

Rare enemies award 200 Azerite (300 on Heroic)

Elite Rare enemies award 300 Azerite (450 on Heroic)

Special Rare Enemieslarge-scale invasions talked about later in the guide.

Rare enemies award 200 Azerite (300 on Heroic)

Elite Rare enemies award 300 Azerite (450 on Heroic)

Chest or Satchel contains 150 Azerite (225 on heroic)

Azerite ExtractorsAzerite RupturesAzerite ExtractionAzerite Rupture

Both teams are notified when the Azerite Extractor is activated.

Regardless of which team activates the Azerite Extractor, whoever tags the enemies will get credit.

A total of 3 activations will summon the rare spawn.

Once the rare spawn is defeated, the icon for this event disappears and the extractor can no longer be activated.

Azerite Extraction

Both teams are notified when the Azerite Extractor is placed.

Both teams are notified when the Azerite Extractor is destroyed.

Some small enemies will be attracted to the Extractor and eventually destroy it if left completely unattended for a long period of time.

The Azerite Extractor lasts until it is destroyed, generating Azerite every 15 seconds it is active.

A new Azerite Extractor can be placed after one is destroyed after a small delay.

Invasions

The expedition captain will warn you when an invasion occurs and what type of enemies they are.

Weather Effects

Some invasions change the atmosphere and add assets to the map.

Other invasions can drastically change the weather and limit visibility.

Leader - 300 Azerite - The leader of the invasion is not always obvious, but is usually either on the Island or through a portal guarding 2 large locked chests. You must defeat the leader to unlock the chests for looting.

Invasion Site Rare - 300 Azerite each - An invasion causes many other rares to appear scattered across the Island, each of them are usually guarding a chest or satchel.

2 Boss Chests - 250 Azerite each - Guarded by the invasion boss. The boss must be defeated before these chests can be looted.

Invasion Site Chest - 150 Azerite each - Guarded by at least 1 rare of an invasion

Many small NPCs - Each invasion site will have several other types of enemies themed around the invasion force.

Since the launch of Battle for Azeroth, the pool of possible invasions in Island Expeditions was limited, with one new invasion type becoming available every week. All of these invasions are expected to be available on the week of November 13th.

Air ElementalsGustBosses:GrimebreezeCyclonic LieutenantWeather Effect:ThunderstormAzerite Elementalsseveral locations around the map.Bosses:Unbound AzeriteWeather Effect:Black DragonsHibernateBosses:TyrantionRavenianStygiaWeather Effect:CultistsNew in Tides of Vengeance!Bosses:Weather Effect:Earth ElementalsBosses:Lord KorslateLord AmythiteWeather Effect:SandstormFeral WorgenFire ElementalsVolcanoFireball VolleyBosses:Lord Amar'zanWeather Effect:Blazing SkyIsland TrollsShadow BoltSand BoltSandblastBosses:Gurthani the ElderBerserker GolaZogaThu'zun the VileWeather Effect: KvaldirBosses:Hjana FogbringerWeather Effect:Eerie FogFetid MistMantidBosses:Wall-Breaker Ha'vikWingleader Srak'ikWeather Effect:MoguShadow BoltBosses:Jun-TiSkycrackWeather Effect:Unnatural DarknessNagaBosses:Tidemistress Sser'ahTide Lord SzunisWeather Effect:Rain StormOld GodsBosses: Weather Effect: Shadow StormPiratesBosses:Mutineer JaliaHead Navigator FranklinWeather Effect:SaurokWater BlastBosses:Weather Effect:TaunkaNew in Tides of Vengeance!Bosses:Weather Effect:Tol'virBosses:Prince AbariWeather Effect:Twilight DragonsHibernateBosses:ThorisionaEndalionWeather Effect:Undead VrykulVenture CompanyBosses:Weather Effect:VrykulBosses:Halfid IroneyeWeather Effect:Water ElementalsBosses: Weather Effect:BlizzardSnow Orb

Comments

Comment by Dybia

Anyone else getting a limited selection of invasions? I've done dozens of expeditions but never seen an elemental, tol'vir, or dragon invasion.

Comment by propane30

Grave vision, with that icon, is actually used in a graveyard in Drustvar, if I remember correctly, for a set of quests involving ghosts there.

Comment by Cafeaulait

Invasions depend on the island.

Comment by JodagonDrago

Anyone else seem to not be getting the invasions at all ever since the Hotfix on the 15th?

Comment by capcanuk

I have no idea why but I have not gotten a single Island Expedition yet.
Anyone know what triggers those to start?
I am further along in the quests and rep than one of my alts, and that alt (no zones actually finished, less than friendly with most) has already gotten an Island Expedition.

Comment by banshih

@Sangheilios - I got some screenshots of the rare Vrykul event. Feel free to use them in your guide. You can find them on this page Hjana Fogbringer

I think its another rare event you have not yet covered in your guide :)

Great work so far.

Comment by razorbackfr

Naga invasions can have a portal, I had one earlier today that led to Tidemistress Sser'ah (who was bugged, spawned under the ground)

Comment by banshih

I just did one and had a sandstorm effect during it no the Island. Really interesting, and not yet on this guide I think.

Comment by Fenril7

We have two communities called Island Expedition and Island Expedition 2 to help get groups for leveling, normal, heroic, mythic and PvP. Unfortunately, the first community is full at 1,000 members and until Blizzard can raise the cap we have started the second community.

If you are an Alliance character on USA servers, you can use this code to either join Community 1 (YeBzeRlskWm) if it is not at a full 1,000 members or Community 2 (P7JOoWah44R) that is just starting out.

Comment by NarumiYanagi

Had the water invasion today. Lord Mercurius was the boss we fought in one of the two portals that appeared. Where the invasion mobs spawned the ground was frozen and movement was slowed. Snow orbs were everywhere but visibility was not hindered.

Comment by Denzer

If you get the Ice Elemental invasion then about 80% of the time the damaging ice ground effect is bugged, and even if you kill all the Frozen Orbs and mobs the ground effect does not despawn like it's supposed to. The ground damages you every 2.5 seconds. It takes 3 seconds to open a Frozen Chest after you kill the rares. Guess what that means? You can't loot a the chest. (The only time I've seen someone successfully do it is a rogue blowing CoS to do so). Guess who can loot the chests? The AI team you are playing against. Guess who never tested half this garbage before releasing it? Blizzard.

Island Expeditions: Random Events and Invasions

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